


Why Did The Fire Monster Go Out In The Rain?

by perniciousLizard



Series: Fired Up and Bone Weary [3]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Grillby POV, M/M, Post-Pacifist Route, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-16
Updated: 2016-02-16
Packaged: 2018-05-20 23:56:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6030531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perniciousLizard/pseuds/perniciousLizard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Soon after Sans and Grillby start dating, Sans falls ill.  Papyrus has no idea that his brother and Grillby have gotten as close as they have, and is surprised when Grillby shows up after he hears Sans is sick.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Why Did The Fire Monster Go Out In The Rain?

Sans hadn’t been to Grillby’s for three days.  

Normally, Grillby would note his absence, but not be particularly bothered. Things had _changed_ though, and recently.  He worried, so he sent a text:   _Are you busy?_

No response.  Not for the entire day.  

Back in his apartment, he fussed over his phone.  He scrolled back up through the texts Sans had sent him recently.  Finally, he brought up his contacts and found Papyrus’ number.  

_Is your brother around?  I want to ask him something._

The last time he had sent a message to Papyrus was six months ago, and it was a response to Papyrus sending him a similar question, also about Sans.  He didn’t remember specifically, but he could guess that Sans had been asleep on the bar again.  

His phone started to ring, and Grillby groaned.  If he had wanted to  _talk_ on the phone, he would have _called_.

He picked up, anyway.  "…………hello, Papyrus.“  

"GRILLBY!  I AM SO SORRY!”

If Grillby had a heart, it would have dropped into his also non-existent stomach.

“I HAVE SANS’ PHONE RIGHT NOW, AND DID NOT SEE YOUR MESSAGE!  HE CAN’T TALK RIGHT NOW!”

Oh.  He started to say something.

“IF YOU TELL ME YOUR MESSAGE, I WILL SEND IT ALONG WHEN HE IS NOT SLEEPING!”

There was a very brief pause, and Grillby started, “…”

“BUT HE IS SICK, SO I AM NOT GOING TO WAKE HIM UP RIGHT NOW.”

Grillby noticed a tightness to Papyrus’ voice; a note that was not normally there.  The uneasy feeling returned, full force.  "Is Sans very sick?“

"WHAT?  I HAVE TO GO!  BYE!”  The line disconnected.  

Grillby sat very still, for a minute, and then slowly typed out a new message to Papyrus.   _Is he very sick?_

_HE WILL BE COMPLETELY FINE!_

Grillby sent another message, but didn’t get an immediate reply.  

He looked around his empty apartment, considering his options.  He could send a message to Toriel.  Sans walked her human child to school every day, so she would know what was going on.  He had no way to reach her.  There were a number of people who might know better than him, but he didn’t know how to contact a single one of them, either. 

Well, he did know where Sans lived.  Grillby didn’t have a car, or a license, but he was used to getting around without them.  

He waited for the taxi inside, anxiously peering between the curtains at the clouded sky.  He was careful to take an umbrella along when he saw the taxi pull up by the front of the bar.

The website for the taxi service had reassured him that they were used to driving monsters around, since there were so many in the city, but the driver seemed uneasy about his specific type of monster.  Cars _were_ flammable and, as the human reminded him, so was the driver.  It took more time than Grillby wanted to wait, convincing the human that he was safe, but he eventually was allowed in the car after he showed he could handle paper money without burning it.

He was barely in the taxi and on the road when small drops of rain started to patter against the windshield.  

“Uh, that’s not going to be a problem, is it?” the human asked.  He switched the windshield wipers on.

Grillby held up his umbrella, so the man could see it in the rearview mirror.

As Sans would have said, the driver _warmed up_ to him over the course of the half hour trip.  He chatted amicably about some of the other monsters he had transported around the city, the wolf monsters who lived in the apartment next to his, and the weather.  Grillby barely spoke, and when he did, the man had no idea that he had so it hadn’t been worth the effort.  

He pulled the taxi as close to the house as he could without driving into it, and Grillby opened the umbrella outside the door before stepping out.  It was coming down hard, and drops of rain snuck around to sizzle against any part of his body exposed to air.  It stung.  

Grillby hurried underneath the small awning over the front door and rang the doorbell.  When there was no instant response, he decided against being polite and patient and rang it six more times.

The door swung open.  

“YOU!” Papyrus was on the other side of the door, a towel around his neck, looking generally harried.  "YOU–“ He broke off.  "OH.  HELLO, GRILLBY, I WAS NOT EXPECTING YOU.  AT ALL!”

“…may I… _please…_ come in.”  

“WHAT KIND OF HOST AM I?  YOU SHOULD EXPECT BETTER OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS! COME IN?”  He stepped out of the way of the door and Grillby hurried inside, leaving his soaking wet umbrella outside.  "WOWIE, LOOK AT THAT RAIN!“  

The bottom of Grillby’s pants and his shoes, where the rain had splattered up and gotten his clothes wet, steamed until they were completely dry.  

"IF YOUR MESSAGE WAS TO LET SANS KNOW YOU WERE COMING FOR A VISIT, I’M AFRAID THAT NOW IS NOT A VERY GOOD TIME.”

“…you said he is ill?”  

Papyrus looked away, uneasy.  "HE WILL BE FINE SOON!  HE JUST ISN’T AT THE MOMENT.  UNDER MY CARE, HE WILL RECOVER IN NO TIME.“

"…may I see him?"

"WELL, MAYBE A VISIT FROM A FRIEND WILL CHEER HIM UP?”  He frowned, directing it at the floor.

“…is it that he’s…tired?”  

“HE MIGHT BE CONTAGIOUS?  NEVER MIND!  YOU ARE HIS FRIEND, SO YOU WON’T LET THAT KEEP YOU AWAY!”  He herded Grillby across the house and into a small bedroom.  

Sans was a blanket covered lump on the bed.  

Grillby could not keep himself from looking around, curious.  Everything was put away and dust-free.  He had been expecting the room to be significantly messier. 

He felt very strongly that he should not be in this room.  It was too private.  

“I KNOW YOU ARE AWAKE!  YOUR FRIEND IS HERE TO VISIT!”

Grillby had been pretty sure Sans _wasn’t_ awake, but that changed very quickly. 

“whozzat?” The lump moved, slightly.  

“IT IS YOUR BROTHER, PAPYRUS!  AND YOUR VERY GOOD FRIEND, GRILLBY!”

Grillby wasn’t sure if that was an euphemism, or if Papyrus had genuinely no idea.  He was leaning towards the latter.  If he had any idea, he was pretty sure he would have told Grillby that Sans was ill days ago.  

“grillby? not feelin so hot right now, sorry.”  He sat up, the blanket sliding off his head.  He rubbed his forehead with the palm of his bony hand.  

There were shadows on Sans’ face that Grillby didn’t remember being there before.  Exhaustion seemed to seep into the air around him.  Grillby knew a fever when he saw one.  

He leaned over the bed, silent.  

“uh.  you gonna say hi or what.”  

“…your brother had your phone.”  He should have visited before this.  Sans looked awful, and this was apparently him much better than he had been.  

“that where that went?”  

“YOU LEFT IT IN YOUR COAT, SO YOUR THOUGHTFUL AND AMAZING BROTHER TOOK IT IN CASE ANYONE IMPORTANT CALLED.”  

“oh.  thanks, bro.”  

Grillby was, for a moment, at a complete loss.  He wished he hadn’t had to travel all the way here to find out what was wrong, and he wished that the rain didn’t make him feel trapped.  He wanted to stay a while, but Papyrus seemed to have no idea why he would show up in the first place.  

There was one thing he could do.

“…have you eaten?” he asked.  There was a bowl next to the bed, mostly untouched.  

Papyrus frowned.  "HE HAS BEEN SLEEPING INSTEAD OF EATING."  

"bro’s been cooking, but it’s kind of touch and go,” Sans admitted.  

Grillby considered the bowl, and then Papyrus.  "…i will make him something." 

Sans pulled the blanket over his head.  Papyrus started to say something, looked at Sans, and decided against whatever it was.  He narrowed his eyes.  

"…you should take a break,“ Grillby tried.  He had no interest in coddling a bad cook, especially not one who was constantly insulting Grillby’s cooking within "earshot," but Sans was not the only one who looked exhausted.  

Before Papyrus could say anything, Grillby left the bedroom and found his way to the kitchen.  There were pots and ingredients already out.  He opened the cupboards and the fridge, looking for something other than pasta.  He considered making hamburgers with some ground beef, but there was nothing to put on them.  The condiment bottles were empty.  It wasn’t long before he gave up.  

He sighed and put a clean pot into the sink.  He pushed the faucet on from as far away as he could stand.  He wore gloves when he had to handle water at work, but he had not brought them with him.  

A short time later, fire magic was heating up the sauce while noodles drained in the sink.  

Papyrus stomped into the kitchen.  "WHAT ARE YOU–” he broke off. “–OH!  YOU MADE SPAGHETTI!”

He had thought Papyrus might get on his case for cooking his “signature dish,” but he was having the opposite reaction.  

“I DIDN’T KNOW YOU COULD COOK ANYTHING THAT WASN’T GREASE!  SANS IS – HIS HEALTH IS NOT THE BEST, TODAY, AND I AM NOT GOING TO LET HIM EAT ANYTHING THAT IS BAD FOR HIM UNTIL HE IS BETTER!" 

"…you should make him soup."  Grillby didn’t think pasta was any more healthy than burgers, but he wasn’t going to make soup himself unless Sans was actually dying and it was the only way to save him.  He could handle some water in food, but he didn’t see the appeal of just slurping down something that made your insides feel like they were going to pop.  

Papyrus grabbed a bowl and started dishing food into it.  Grillby wasn’t used to seeing him look tired.  

"…i was serious, Papyrus....take a break."

"THIS IS NOTHING!  NOT FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS!”  He stood up straight, thrusting his shoulders back.  Grillby doubted he had taken a single short nap since Sans fell ill.  

“………i see.”  He followed Papyrus back to Sans’ bedroom.  

Sans was sitting up.  His face was gently lit by his cell phone.  Papyrus must have returned it while Grillby was cooking.  He took the bowl Papyrus thrust at him and looked at it.  "ok,“ he said, and reached in with his hand and grabbed a sauce-covered noodle.  

"SILVERWARE!!!!” Papyrus fled the room, presumably for the kitchen.

Grillby sat down on the edge of the bed, next to Sans.  "…what happened?"

"dunno.  felt more tired than usual and next thing i know tori’s here and i’m getting blasted with healing magic.  must’ve caught something.”  He shrugged.  

Grillby nodded.  He wished someone had called him, but it was obvious that Papyrus had no idea why Grillby was there.  "…you don’t have the… _faint_ est idea?"

Sans brightened, for a second.  "i gotta use that.”  

Papyrus burst back in, carrying a handful of forks.  Grillby’s comments about taking a break seemed to have spurred him on.  

“thanks bro.”  Sans took a fork and looked at his food for a minute, and then back up and Papyrus and Grillby.  His eyes almost looked empty, the normal brightness in them dull, like they were viewing the light from a great distance.  "don’t need an audience."

"…can’t leave, yet," Grillby admitted, gesturing to Sans’ window.  The rain was as good an excuse as any to stick around until he had reassured himself that Sans was all right.  He could manage if he had to go.  

"there’s the couch,” Sans said.  "i’d take you home, but tibia honest paps would have a bone to pick with me for it."  

"I WOULD!!  DON’T YOU DARE.”  Papyrus looked Grillby over and then said, “I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU, SANS!  GUESTS DON’T SLEEP ON THE COUCH!”

“sweet. looks like you get the racecar bed for the night.”  

Grillby shook his head.  "…i will leave, once…"

"I WILL NOT LET A GUEST LEAVE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!  I AM AN EXCELLENT HOST.”  

“…you should sleep in your own bed.”  

Sans’ expression sharpened and he looked at his brother.  "gotta agree with grillby here, bro."   He poked at his food a little more.  

Papyrus looked affronted at being ganged up on, and then his expression turned sly.  "I DON’T KNOW HOW I COULD RELAX WHEN YOU HAVEN’T EATEN ANYTHING!  I WILL JUST HAVE TO STAY AWAKE AND WATCH OVER YOU!”

Sans knew exactly what his brother was doing.  Grillby watched him seriously start in on his food, anyway.  Slam dunk.  

“IT ACTUALLY IS VERY GOOD!  I AM NOT ENTIRELY SURE WHY HE COOKS SO MANY GREASY BURGERS WHEN HE IS PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF COOKING SOMETHING WHOLESOME.”  

Grillby shook his head.  If he expected Sans to defend him from the insult/compliment combo, he was mistaken.

“it’s a mystery, bro.”  He grinned at Grillby.  "what’s that _glare_ for?"

"WELL, YOU MUST BE ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY,” Papyrus decided.  "SO I WILL BE THE BIGGER SKELETON AND LET THAT TERRIBLE JOKE PASS.“  

"heh.”  He covered his mouth with the edge of his blanket and coughed into it.  He slowly finished the bowl.  

Grillby noticed Papyrus straightening up Sans’ room, almost unconsciously, while Sans was eating.  When Sans finished, he took the dirty dishes away immediately. 

“so is this our second date or what?” Sans asked.

“They only count if we both know in advance,” Grillby said.  

“good cause i wanted to save puking up your food until at least the fourth date,” he said, a little weak.  

Grillby looked out the window, feeling out of place in Sans' house, and considering what to say.  He was not sure if it was worth it trying to say something.  When he looked back, Sans had nodded off.  Regardless of how strange he felt, Grillby decided that he did not regret being there.  It was better than being home, worrying.  

Papyrus returned a few minutes later and gently set a glass of milk next to Sans’ bed.  He fussed over his brother and then tiptoed in loud boots out of the room.  Grillby decided to follow him out.  

“…if you need someone to keep an eye on him,” Grillby said, slowly, “…I am not tired.”  

At first, Papyrus gave him the same confused look he had been giving Grillby since he arrived.  But then, bright and open, his expression cleared. “CONGRATULATIONS!  I KNEW THAT YOU AND MY BROTHER WERE HANGING OUT, BUT I HAD NO IDEA YOU HAD LEVELED UP YOUR FRIENDSHIP SO QUICKLY.”  

“…what?”

Papyrus snatched Grillby’s hand with both of his bony ones, shaking it.  

“…I don’t think…” He didn’t want to be the one to explain this to Papyrus.  

“WELL I DON’T WANT TO STAND IN THE WAY OF FRIENDSHIP!  MAKE SURE HE ALWAYS HAS SOMETHING TO DRINK WHEN HE WAKES UP.”  Papyrus had a full list of instructions on how to care for his brother.  After he went over everything, he seemed to change his mind.  "YOU KNOW WHAT?  NEVER MIND!  THE GREAT PAPYRUS ALREADY KNOWS WHAT MUST BE DONE!“

"…no, I will be fine."

Papyrus must have been very tired, because he did not need much more reassurance before he agreed to let Grillby and Sans platonically "bond.”

When Grillby went back into the bedroom, Sans was awake.  "wasn’t expecting you to be the one to come back in here."

"…you were sleeping."

"was i?  my eyes were closed and i missed it.”  

“……drink your milk.”  

“what? not my best joke?  guess i’m not feeling _up_ to it.”

“……”

"ok, ok.”  Sans sat up a little and took a cautious sip from the glass.  

“…do you know how long it will take you to recover?”

“when i asked paps that he said ‘as long as it takes’ so your guess is as good as mine.  better off asking tori, next time i see her.”  

“…will she be here tomorrow?”

“dunno.”

Grillby nodded.  

Just being awake seemed to tire Sans out, so they were only able to talk for a few minutes before Sans’ words started to slur and he nodded off again.  Grillby tugged Sans’ blanket up a little higher and carefully pushed the glass away from the edge of the table.  He wanted to help, but what else could he do?

He looked around, wondering what the room looked like when Papyrus wasn’t cleaning up after his brother.  He spotted a few photographs: Sans with his brother, Toriel with the human child, and one from Grillby's.  That last one was just a shot of the inside of the new bar. Grillby could see himself way in the back of the picture, behind the counter, turning everything around him slightly red.  He did not photograph well, as a rule.  

The door loudly creaked open and Papyrus tried to sneak in.

“hey bro,” Sans said.  "you almost didn’t wake me up, there."

"GO BACK TO SLEEP!!” Papyrus said.  "NO, DRINK SOMETHING, AND THEN GO BACK TO SLEEP!  STAYING HYDRATED IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR HEALTHY BONES!"  

"done.” Sans pointed out the empty glass.  "thought you were going to bed."  

"I TOOK A POWER NAP!  I FEEL POWERFUL AND ALSO WIDE AWAKE!”  

Grillby thought he looked just as tired as before, but he didn’t see it as his place to argue with Papyrus.

The brothers pressured Grillby into taking Papyrus’ bed, which turned out to be exactly the sort of bed Grillby assumed Papyrus would sleep in.  He wasn’t expecting to do more than lay in bed and feel out of place there, but the next thing he knew he was awake and confused, unsure where he was.  

His memories from the previous evening came abruptly back and he checked the clock.  He had only slept for two hours, but at least that meant he had plenty of time before he had to go home and open the restaurant.  

The rainstorm was over and the sun was trying to break through the clouds outside.  Grillby welcomed the warmth of the sunlight, hoping he had seen the last of the bad weather for a while.  

He buttoned his shirt back up and smoothed it out, wanting to make himself slightly presentable in clothes he had slept in, and went to the kitchen to see if any food had materialized in the cupboards since the previous night.  

It was pasta, or nothing.  He stood in the kitchen, his flame rising up in irritation, almost brushing against the ceiling.  

The doorbell rang.  Grillby, still groggy from sleep, barely moved before Papyrus shot by the kitchen and opened the door.  

“Good morning, Papyrus!  How is the patient?”  

Grillby recognized the voice of the once-queen from the few times she had visited the bar with Sans.  He mostly remembered her disappointment in the lack of snail options on the menu.  

“HE WAS ACTUALLY AWAKE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, BUT IT MADE HIM TIRED SO NOW HE IS SLEEPING AGAIN.”  

“Still, that is wonderful progress.”

The human child peered around the corner and into the kitchen, spotting Grillby.  They waved, a little tentative, and Grillby nodded back.  They smiled and ran off towards Sans’ bedroom. 

Now the lack of food was completely unacceptable.  Grillby made sure he had his umbrella on him, just in case, and left to find groceries.  

 

Frisk was watching television in the living room when he returned, carrying a huge bag.  They followed Grillby into the kitchen and helped him unpack, mostly just curious what he had bought.  Grillby pointed at the package of eggs and Frisk nodded, with enthusiasm.  

Grillby considered making omelets, but thinking about the number of people in the house and everyone’s varying omelet preferences, he decided to just scramble the eggs and let everyone have as much as they wanted. He started to fry up some bacon and potatoes while Frisk watched with interest.  

Grillby pointed to the cupboard with the dishes and Frisk caught on immediately, getting plates and silverware for everyone.  In a minute, the child was running off to Sans’ room with a loaded dish.  

Papyrus popped into the kitchen, a minute later.  He watched Grillby fry up the last of the bacon, suspicious.  "WHAT IS THIS?“  He pointed at the eggs.  "IT IS LIKE A QUICHE, BUT WITHOUT ANY CRUST.”  

“…something like that.”  

He walked over to the stove, and continued to keep an eye socket on Grillby’s cooking.  "YOUR METHOD IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN UNDYNE’S!  SHE WOULD TURN THE HEAT UP AS FAR AS IT WOULD GO!"  

”…exact control of the heat is essential.“  

"BUT HOW DO YOU SHOW YOUR PASSION?  FOOD IS FLAVORLESS AND DULL WITHOUT PUTTING EVERYTHING YOU HAVE INTO EVERY DISH!”  

“…yes.”  He dumped the bacon onto some paper towels.  "…you show your passion by making food that everyone enjoys."  He made up a plate for Papyrus, and handed it to him.  "…uncontrolled flame turns everything to char.  It makes a hamburger that is burnt and hard on the outside, and raw in the middle.  You show that you care by learning what each meal is made of, and how each part goes together and how much heat it needs to cook evenly.  Passion is in the care for detail."  He expected to be interrupted, whenever he spoke so slowly, but Papyrus' expression twisted with concentration and he didn't speak until Grillby was finished.  

"INTERESTING! UNDYNE WOULD NOT AGREE WITH YOU AT ALL!”

“…she is better at fighting than I am.  But you don’t fight when you are cooking.  It is cooperative, with the ingredients, or you make something that isn’t worth throwing in the garbage.”  

“SHE IS BETTER AT FIGHTING THAN ANYONE!” Papyrus agreed.  He tasted a little of Grillby’s naked, oddly textured quiche.  "BUT YOU ARE BETTER AT THIS.  MAYBE IT WOULD BE BEST IF YOU DID NOT TELL HER I SAID THAT."  

"…if you never mention what I said about cooking and fighting being different.“  

"DEAL! THAT WAY, NO ONE HAS TO BE SUPLEXED!”  He shook Grillby’s hand.   “THOUGH, SHE FREQUENTLY DOES THAT ANYWAY, FOR NO REASON…” He stared, worried, off into space for a few seconds before shaking his head and dismissing whatever he had been thinking.  

Grillby recovered his hand.  "…i will have to leave soon.  If I prepared something for Sans to have for lunch, would you heat it up? …following my instructions, exactly?"  

"THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF CARING FOR HIS BROTHER.  YOU DO NOT NEED TO COOK FOR HIM!”

“…i know.”  Grillby felt himself blushing, slightly.  He doubted Papyrus noticed, and was glad for it.  "…but I like to."  

"…IN THAT CASE, I WILL MEMORIZE YOUR INSTRUCTIONS AND REPLICATE THEM WITH THE EXACTITUDE THAT SUCH A HEARTWARMING DISPLAY OF FRIENDSHIP REQUIRES!  I WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!" 

"…thank you."

Toriel peeked into the kitchen.  "Oh!  I was told that there was enough breakfast for everyone!  Thank you.  This is very considerate.”

“…human grocery stores do not sell snails,” Grillby said.  

“Yes,” she said, sighing.  "I know that all too well.  But it was kind of you to think of me."  

Papyrus and Toriel sat at the kitchen table while Grillby prepared a lunch for Sans and wrote down instructions for Papyrus on how long to leave it in the oven.  

"I believe it will be at least another day before he should spend more than a few minutes out of bed,” Toriel said.  "Do you feel ill at all, Papyrus?"

"I FEEL FANTASTIC!”

“Make sure you take care of yourself,” she said, “Please.  If I discover that you felt sick but pushed yourself, well” –her expression turned stern– “I am going to have words for you, young man.”  

Grillby glanced at the clock and left the kitchen, figuring it was around time to say goodbye.  But he stopped immediately outside the kitchen, wondering if Sans was sleeping, and if he should risk waking him.  

He heard Toriel say, “That poor monster.  They only just started dating, and Sans falls so ill.  He must not know how to react.”  

“THEY ONLY STARTED WHAT?”  

Grillby hurried away, to Sans’ room.  Frisk was sitting on the bed, next to him, showing Sans videos on his phone.  Sans looked up when the door opened.  

“did it just get hot in here, or is it you?” Sans asked, winking.  

Frisk laughed and blew Grillby a kiss.  

Grillby sighed and leaned down over the bed, giving Sans a light smooch on the top of his skull.  His temperature seemed closer to normal.  "I have to go.“  

"not much to do around here other than watch me sleep or watch dog videos with the kiddo.  kind of wish you’d stick around and keep cooking for me, though,” he admitted.  

“…i bought you some chips.  They are in the fridge, behind some of the old pasta containers.” He wasn’t sure how healthy Papyrus thought chips were, so it was safer to hide them.  

“all right, then i don’t need you at all.  thanks grillbz.”  He chuckled, until Frisk jabbed him in the cheekbone.  "kidding."

Grillby nodded at the child.  "…don’t let him get bored…out of his _skull_." 

"classic.” The light in Sans’ eye sockets seemed a little brighter since last night. 

“…I hope I see you soon,” he said, resting his hand on the blanket, near Sans’ shoulder.  

“if you don’t, bro’s locked me in and is making me eat healthy.  so i’ll need a rescue.”  

“…i’ll bring takeout, if I don’t hear from you soon.”

“you’re the best.”  Sans pressed a bony hand to his smiling mouth and imitated blowing Grillby a kiss, like Frisk had.  "if i had a heart, you’d know the way to it."  

"…good bye, Sans."  

"later, grillbz.”  Sans turned his attention back to the cellphone screen that Frisk was insistently shoving in his face.  

Grillby left the room, closed the door behind him, and then hurried towards the front door, trying to get out without running into Papyrus.  

No such luck.  He had to pass through the living room, and that was where Papyrus and Toriel were.  Papyrus jumped up off the couch and looked Grillby over.  

“…i have to leave.”  He and Sans were just _dating_ , he shouldn’t have to be examined like they were _eloping_.  “…i need to set up for the day.”  

Whatever Papyrus decided about him, he kept it to himself.  "I SEE!  IT WAS GOOD OF YOU TO STOP BY AND YOU LEFT MY BED ONLY SMELLING A LITTLE BIT LIKE CHARCOAL.  STOP BY ANY TIME."  

"…please send me a message if anything changes."  

"OF COURSE I WILL SEND MY BROTHER’S _BOYFRIEND_ UPDATES ON HOW HE IS DOING!  NYEH HEH HEH!  IF YOU THOUGHT TO KEEP IT A SECRET FROM THE GENIUS PUZZLE CREATOR-AND-SOLVER PAPYRUS, YOU WERE MISTAKEN!”

“…I should have known better.”  The only one possibly keeping it a secret from Papyrus was Sans, but Papyrus looked so pleased with himself Grillby decided to just go along with it.  

“YES! YOU SHOULD HAVE!  BUT NOW YOU KNOW BETTER, SO IT IS FINE!” Papyrus got Grillby’s umbrella for him.  "WE BOTH KNOW EACH OTHER A LITTLE BETTER."  

"…yes."

Papyrus shoved him out the door.  "BYE!”

“…good bye, Papyrus.”  

The door clicked shut behind him and Grillby stood on the front stoop for a minute, wondering if Papyrus approved of him, and what he would do if he didn’t.  

–-

Papyrus sent him regular updates over the course of the next few days, though, letting him know when Sans spent several hours out of bed and when he caught Sans eating mysterious chips.

It was almost a week before Sans showed up in Grillby’s again, and he still looked physically exhausted.  He perked up a little when Grillby brought him a bottle of ketchup.  

Sans left early, after a few texts from Papyrus.  "i was really  _relishing_ getting out of the house for a while,“ Sans said, shoving his half-finished bottle of ketchup into a pocket of his coat.  "but we  _must_ ard _ketchup_ another time, grillby.”  

“…your brother is very concerned for you.  I wouldn’t keep him waiting.”

“yeah, he’s pretty amazing, right?  i’m lucky.”  

“…you’d…butter head back.”  It was a stretch, but Sans always looked so pleased that he made the effort.

“yeah, else i’ll be in a pretty big pickle, right?”  

Grillby tried not to laugh, but it was a lost cause.  He had missed Sans’ terrible jokes in the past week.

Sans’ grin got a little wider.  "see ya, grillby.“  

Grillby shook his head and waved him off.  

He noticed his phone lit up, and when he checked his messages he discovered that Sans was not the only one who had gotten a message from Papyrus.  

_DON’T LET SANS PRETEND TO BE WELL ENOUGH TO STAY OUT ALL NIGHT!_

_He’s heading back now._

_FINALLY!_

_You are a very good brother, Papyrus._

_I KNOW!!_

After a few minutes, Grillby received one more message: _BUT THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING IT!_

A crowd of monsters came into the restaurant, shivering from the cold. Grillby set down his phone and got back to work.  


End file.
